Blood Orange Bourbon Smash with Spicy Vanilla Sugar.
Please pretend this is a Jem valentine.
I think I say this every year, but it’s only because I think of it every year. If I had to be in first or second or fifth or whatever grade today, whatever grade still makes totally cool valentine’s day boxes to fit little cards in, I would have a complete meltdown. Back in the day, my decorated box was a small old shoe box, usually covered in white tissue paper and maybe some red felt hearts or stickers with a big rectangle cut out of the middle. This was totally normal and the thing, right? Everyone used a shoe box!
With how much my craftiness is lacking, I don’t even know what I’d do today with pinterest and the crafty competition. Like… tell me what valentine’s boxes look like these days. Are they still shoe boxes? Heck, they are probably Louboutin shoe boxes. Do they have magic powers? They probably accept your valentine and spit some conversation hearts back out at you or something. Are the boxes huge, like a moving box? I still have a zillion of those.
They are probably bubbles that can transport you and your valentine to space and back.
Ahhhh pinterest you stress me out.
Totally wish I had the patience to make adorable homemade valentines too, like the ones that look BETTER than the million dollar Papyrus cards sold in stores. I was born without the Martha gene.
Also:
Is it just me or are blood oranges EVERYWHERE this year? Like not in stores, but all over the internets. Have blood oranges turned basic?
Noooo. Say it ain’t so.
You know what though. I’m convinced that blood orange season is the universe’s way of allowing us to drink gorgeous, hot pinky-coral cocktails on valentine’s day. I mean, you don’t even NEED a valentine with a drink like this.
In fact, this IS your valentine. Forget everything else.
Last week I made my cousin and I these cocktails for Friday happy hour before ordering a ridiculous amount of greek food. I’m making up for lost time in the cocktail game and, let’s be real, it certainly helps that these things are two words: GOR. GEOUS.
Rimmed on the glass? Vanilla sugar with just the teeeeeensiest hint of spice. Make it ahead of time and store a ginormous jar in your pantry so you can have it at all times. It would also be delicious when rimmed on vanilla ginger mojitos.
Now… the oranges. Is there any fruit more dazzling? I think not.
These beauties are sliced and muddled with some simple syrup and shakes of bitters. Then that is topped off with crushed ice (aka, THE BEST ICE) and covered in bourbon, blood orange juice and club soda for a little bubble. Give it a big fat stir and plop another stunning slice in the center, and add a rosemary spring or something else pretty for color. Taste and add more syrup if you like it sweet.
This cocktail isn’t overwhelmingly sweet, which is nice.
Hmmmm. Nice. Just what every valentine wants to hear.
Blood Orange Bourbon Smash with Spicy Vanilla Sugar
Ingredients
spicy vanilla sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- a pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
bourbon smash
- crushed ice
- 1 1/2 ounces simple syrup, or more if you want it sweeter!
- a few drops of bitters
- 2 blood orange slices
- 6 ounces blood orange juice
- 1 1/2 ounces bourbon
- 2 ounces club soda
- extra blood orange slices for garnish
- fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
spicy vanilla sugar
- All the sugar, cayenne and scraped vanilla beans to a bowl and stir and mash together with a fork until the beans are distributed evenly. You can store this sugar in a jar if you make it ahead of time and in that case, keep the vanilla pod in the jar! Make a double or triple batch… hint hint.
bourbon smash
- In the bottom of a chilled glass, add the simple syrup, bitters and an orange slice or two. Muddle together until the orange slices have broken down. Add crushed ice and pour the bourbon and blood orange juice over top. Stir to mix. Top off with the club soda and garnish with an orange slice and fresh herbs for color.
simple syrup
- To make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and let the mixture come to a simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool completely then stored in a sealed jar in the fridge.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
I think this would totally fit in your card box.
95 Comments on “Blood Orange Bourbon Smash with Spicy Vanilla Sugar.”
I used a shoe box too! I liked to pretend I was being green and re-using things.
Or something like that.
Really though, just shove a couple of these amazing cocktails in there and I will be one MUCHO happy Valentine. Pinned!
Need in my life. Now. ;)
This looks amazing! I know what I’m drinking after work tonight!
So much yumm!! And you did way better than me Jessica in the shoe box department!! My martha gene never even existed hehe!! These look delicious, planning on making these tonight with dinner!
No Valentine or any other excuse is needed to drink these babies. They are GORGEOUS. Blood oranges really are everywhere this year. But I don’t mind one little bit!
Yes, a shoebox!! For sure. White tissue paper, red paper hearts. Absolutely! That was such a fun stroll down memory lane. I forgot about making a box to receive Valentine’s. Not everyone signed theirs and it was fun trying to figure out if any of them were from ‘secret admirers’. Lol. Gorgeous drink! I have seen a lot of blood oranges on the internet too… I hope they’re not as regular as pomegranates came to be. It’s fun to keep things ‘novel.’ This beverage is a stunner!
You are the reigning prom queen of creative, beautiful, delicious recipes on the internet. You seem to keep outdoing yourself, and I find myself amazed that you’re still pumping out amazing content and taking great photos while balancing a newborn in the crook of your arm. This is so darn pretty and I want to slurp it through the screen!
YES to booze for V-day!! Also, I couldn’t keep up with valentine boxes either … are you kidding, everyone is pretty much Martha Stewart these days!
Let’s eat and drink ALL the blood orange things together!!! <3
I want spicy vanilla sugar rimming every glass from now on – omg that sounds good! And the drink itself, totally guzzle-able!
Last I checked, Walmart doesn’t sell blood oranges, so I don’t think they’re basic. Yet.
I stay off Pinterest because I don’t have enough time in my life to do ANY MORE PROJECTS. I think my husband would flip haha.
That being said, when I was pregnant, I did a respectable amount of craft Pintresty nursery room projects to hold me over for the year, so I think I’m good. :)
I so agree, I’ve been seeing blood oranges EVERYWHERE on the Interweb this year. And I’ve still yet to jump on the bandwagon and try one for myself. Soon? Maybe? This recipe would be an incredible place to start, that’s for sure.
Oh my this sounds amazing! Blood orange is such a great winter flavor.
blood oranges ARE everywhere, but the color is just do divine and the taste so yums I am totally on board with them, esp when paired with booze :)
Thank you! This is just what I need tonight!
I don’t think I ever used a shoe box — I think we just drew hearts on a brown paper lunch bag and put them on our desks. Your shoe box would have been fancy in my class!
Wow – talk about gorgeous! I’m not a bourbon fan. Like, not at all. I wonder what other types of alcohol you could substitute in this drink, maybe vodka?
Yummy x
http://www.wild-cherrytree.com
I was borderline scarred by the shoe boxes. I tried to cover mine with tin foil, but I just couldn’t compete with the real crafters, even then. Bourbon is my fave, so I’ll gladly console myself with a few rounds of these beauties!
Yup. Just, yup. Blood Orange + Bourbon forever. Solidarity.
Mmmf, this looks amazing. I wonder how this would be with gin and tonic water, though? I’ll have to experiment!
I teach 4th grade and we’re having our Valentine’s party day, and I have to say, mostly everyone is using a bag–some grocery bags, some red and pink sparkly bags. But a few of the kids have gotten very creative with their shoe boxes–one of them painted hers purple, cut a rectangle, and used green construction paper to make it look like teeth around the opening. And another one made hers look like a blue mail box–complete with four little feet and a red cardboard flag. It’s pretty adorable.
ahhh! i want pictures!
I adore blood oranges – the colour just gets me every time! This looks amazing Jessica!
Jem is my name, no one else is the same, JEM!
Thanks for that memory. ;)
Gorgeous :) And those glasses are so simple and beautiful–can you tell us where you found them?
These photos are stunning, Jessica! I made my little brother’s Valentines myself this year… I’m pretty sure he wanted store bought cards, but crafting is so fun!! I couldn’t resist. :D
Holy crap – the flavour!!! This sounds lovely!
Very sexy and easy recipe!
http://inatrendytown.blogspot.com.es
Omg This has to be delicous <3
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
Could I use vanilla bean paste in the sugar? I fear it’ll be too wet, but I don’t enjoy spending a ton on a vanilla bean.
i think it will probably be too wet :(
These sound absolutely AH-mazing! I cannot wait to try them.
Also, I now feel inspired to find out what sort of Valentine’s Day boxes kids are making these days. They seriously have to be epic. Maybe I will make my own old school one for my office just to see if anyone feels inspired to put a Valentine in it!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
YUM! This looks amazing. :)
Spicy vanilla sugar looks like the best thing in the world, other than blood oranges and bourbon. Good work.
I need this in my life right now. Sounds amazing
I would drink 5 of these based on the gorgeous color alone! What ? Don’t you guys make your drink decisions based on color ? The brighter the color, the better the taste, and the more you can drink and then you know ..
So fresh drink for lunch, i think this is the best recipe for the summer season.
Wow, this sounds absolutely delicious! I will certainly be trying this recipe out this weekend!
I’ve enjoyed a stupid number of these in the past four days and even made a special trip to buy another bottle of bourbon! …at 10am this morning. needless to say, I was the first person in the liquor store. so yea. these are THAT good.
Give me greek food and a GIANT Blood orange bourbon smash or give me death… okay, perhaps dramatic. But seriously, gimme.
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Apparently blood oranges are this year’s kale! They do taste great though and make for lovely photos too! I can’t wait to try this recipe when it warms up outside and I feel brave enough to leave my regular hot chocolates behind.
Thank you for this amazing recipe. I made these for my boyfriend and me last night and they were amazing! We cut out the cayenne but what a refreshing and fun drink. Thanks so much! XO
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